Blood Tie
by ToryTigress92
Summary: Five years after her change, Bella is living out her eternity with the man who changed her life irrevocably, turning her from an ordinary human into an extraordinary leader and immortal. But now ties to her human life awaken, and Bella will be forced back to Forks to confront her past and those she left behind, and a surprise in store which could change her future forever.
1. A Queen In Mourning

Blood Tie

Warnings: Some explicit content, character death.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

_**A/N:**_ This is set five years after the ending of 'Siren of the Twilight'. This will be a three-shot.

* * *

_Bella_

I'd been a vampire for five years.

Thanks to the clarity that came with the change, I could remember as if it was yesterday, my first sight of Volterra. I had said goodbye to my human friends and family, left my mundane human existence far behind me in exchange for another.

When I first moved to Forks, I could never have imagined how much that tiny, rain-soaked town would change my life. But it had, and I saw the evidence every time I looked into a mirror.

Everything about my senses had been heightened, my body and face smoothed and perfected until I almost didn't recognise myself in the mirror, the morning I awoke from the change. My eyes, red as blood, had startled me at first.

But that had not been the only change. My life in Forks, and before that in Phoenix, had been ordinary, unimportant. I was just one teenager among millions.

Now I was a Queen, a leader. In our world, my word was law.

I felt a smile dawn as I looked out of the tower window, the view encompassing all of the golden town below me, gleaming in the Italian sun with its yellow stone and terracotta tiled roofs, and beyond to the wide, seemingly unending plains. I had run the length and breadth of those plains, knew their every hollow and dip and dell like I knew the contours of my face, or that of my husband's.

My mind turned to the man I had married in secret, exactly five years before, at a time of sunset, of twilight just like now. Aro had changed me the very night we arrived in Volterra. My last night as a human.

I could still remember the pink of the dawn, my last dawn as a human, as the sun had risen over the rooftops of Volterra, only for it to be blotted out by the pain of the change.

It had been like a dusky rose, spreading across the sky like a bloodstain.

It had taken a year to get my bloodlust under control, once I awoke from the change. There had been an incident, about six months after my change, when the worst had happened, and no pain could equal that. Only Aro had been able to help come to terms with the guilt, and the sorrow, of taking a life. The thirst had nearly been all-consuming and painful, the only real pain I was capable of experiencing once I became a vampire. Jane's gift could not harm me, not that she would ever have tried of her own free will.

The diminutive vampire did have a sadistic side. I'd seen it before, many times, but it was always only in the service of the Volturi. If Aro, or I, or Caius or Marcus, ordered her to stop, she stopped instantly. I had grown to love her, just as I loved Alec and Demetri and Felix and all the others of the Volturi guard.

* * *

I smiled as I turned to face Jane, when I smelt her approach, her unique scent like rose petals mixed with the unmistakeable scent of human blood. It was one I'd long become used to.

"Ok, Jane. Confession time," I murmured, the blonde vampire smirking impishly as she appeared from around a corner, the skirts of her robe _swishing_ gently as she glided towards me. I spread my arms, gesturing to the gown I wore, and my upswept hair. "Why the hell am I wearing this, and where is that conniving snake of a husband of mine?"

I had returned to our rooms after going for a run in the foothills, as I often did. Running and the speed of being a vampire, was one of my favourite things. Aro had been none too happy, arguing that I should not leave the citadel for fear I might be a target.

I remembered Damon all too well.

I had refused to stay cooped up for all eternity in Volterra. That had been our first real fight, and in the end Aro could not gainsay me. I was immune to all gifts of the Volturi guard, and he knew I would never have forgiven him if he had restrained me by force. In the end, he had merely insisted I take a guard with me if I must go, and he could not join me himself.

Even that had dropped off, as my powers grew and expanded. My shield could be used not only to protect others from mental attack or penetration, but I had discovered I also possessed the power to shield them and myself physically as well.

When I had returned to Volterra, it was to find this beautiful monstrosity of a gown waiting for me on our bed.

I was used to luxury and wealth in Volterra. Aro had warned me when we arrived that I would just have to get used to it, and to being treated like a Queen. I only reluctantly agreed.

The dress was black silk overlaid in golden lace, the cool silk hugging my perfected form before flaring from my knees in a cascade of contrasting colours and textures. As always, I wore the Volturi crest Aro had left me during our year apart around my neck.

Knowing it was a message, and that Aro wished me to wear it, I had given in and swept up my hair, and then gone up to my tower, my favourite spot in the citadel, to wait. It was no use trying to find him; Aro was exceedingly good at evading me if he wanted to, and there were places in the Volturi citadel that I had not, even in five years of living there, managed to explore yet.

Jane tore me out of my reverie again, with her teasing smirk. "I couldn't possibly say, my Lady," she murmured formally, and I rolled my eyes at the formality. It was my right and my title, as Aro's wife, but that didn't mean I had to enjoy it. Jane, Alec and Felix liked using it just to annoy me most of the time. "I was however requested by the Master to bring you to the solarium."

"You mean we actually have one of those?" I asked, frowning. Jane shrugged.

"Even the Masters still enjoy the feel of sunlight. This way, we do not run the risk of exposure," she replied, with a slightly pointed look in my direction. I sighed and rolled my eyes; Jane disapproved of my outdoor excursions just like Aro did, and just like Aro, she had learned that telling me no usually meant I would do it anyway.

It was an exasperated sort of bond between us, like that despite the gap in physical age and rank, Jane was my long-suffering elder sister.

I just smiled and remained silent, walking away as Jane rolled her eyes and shook her head.

* * *

The solarium was a wide, cavernous room at the very heart of the citadel, where a glass domed roof let in the sunlight, safe from prying mortal eyes.

As I walked inside, I smelt the scent of human blood. The thirst burned in my throat, but I could see no one else in the room, as I glided forward, and stopped, smiling.

In the very centre of the solarium was a chaise piled high with cushions and silk throws, a small mahogany tantalus beside it holding a carafe of ruby red blood and two crystal glasses. Violin music played softly in the background, and I smiled as I recognised some of Elgar's work.

Knowing Aro was around somewhere; I crossed my arms and called out. "So what is all this?"

I felt my husband's presence with a rush of cool air against my back, and didn't move as his arms came around me, holding me tightly in his embrace. "I believe humans call such things anniversaries. Your change is certainly an event I would wish to celebrate," he murmured against my ear, making me shudder. His fingers traced the crest hanging in the valley between my breasts, before trailing sensuously down my stomach, and I gasped.

While I was no longer a newborn, some things would always test my control to breaking point.

My husband and my never-ending lust for him being one of them, a fact he exploited every chance he got.

"Aro," I growled warningly, and he chuckled. "Behave."

"Where you are concerned, that will always be an impossibility, _amore mio_," he sighed mock-apologetically. I eyed him over my shoulder narrowly, meeting his flawless features and milky red eyes.

"Don't try the seduction technique on me, buddy," I retorted, mock-snarling but my grin and the look in my eye didn't exactly match my tone. Aro chuckled, pressing a kiss to my temple.

"I do wish you would cease using modern idioms. I can't keep up," he muttered, releasing me and going to the tantalus, pouring blood into the crystal glasses and offering one to me. "I am most certainly not your 'buddy'."

"Awww, is the big, bad, millennia-old vampire finding it too hard to cope with the modern world?" I teased him, waiting for him to crack but my ever-so-patient husband just smiled darkly, and raised his glass to me.

"Keep going, my Isabella," he chuckled. "I have my limits."

And I was probably the only person in existence able to push them with impunity. I smiled and sipped my blood, relishing the warm saltiness against my tongue. "Well, since we wouldn't want that," I smiled a seductive smile of my own, as his eyes darkened with hunger, and he prowled closer. "I ask again. What brought all this on?"

"I told you, the anniversary of your change," he replied insistently. He reached out and traced a finger down my cheek to my lips, lingering on a spot of blood I had purposely let slip, and he painted my lips with it. "Am I not allowed to plan a surprise for my wife?"

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting you to remember," I replied. We hadn't done it before, and I was surprised he remembered. Heck, it wasn't exactly high on _**my**_ list of priorities either, not really. Call it a remnant of my old dislike of celebrating birthdays.

Aro looked offended, and I swept my hand out over the chaise and the blood, and the relatively private location, or as private as it got in a citadel full of vampires. "Or that you planned this! I didn't know I married a closet romantic," I grinned, setting down my glass and his, and stepping into his arms. I twined my own around his neck, and met his eye, dropping my teasing and I smiled sincerely. "Thank you, love. This is beautiful."

The sun warmed us, as Aro bent his head to mine, our kiss slow and unhurried. There was no rush, no need, just pleasure and comfort. His hand crept into my hair, ruffling the smooth style, holding me tightly as his tongue ravished mine, and I abruptly felt far too hot.

The intimacy that surrounded us threatened to turn to something far hotter and darker, and I broke the kiss, wanting to prolong it a little while longer. Our lives were full, busy, and moments like this were not as common as I would have liked. I leant my head on his lapel, against the familiar softness of his usual suit, and his hand stroked my hair.

"Didyme put you up to this, didn't she?" I muttered. I felt Aro sigh, as I restrained a laugh, and raised my head.

"She might have mentioned the importance of such a date," he replied reluctantly. "And Alice."

I really did laugh then. My relationship with Aro's sister and Caius's mate, Athenodora, was close, as close as sisters. I adored Didyme for her cheerfulness and innocent love of life, and Athenodora for her sophistication and intelligence. She had been the one to truly teach me what it meant to be a wife and Queen of the Volturi, had eased me into my new life where sometimes Aro could not.

As for the pixie-like vampire, we were firm friends. We did not see one another often, but we kept in touch regularly. They had moved on from Washington two years ago, and had settled in Canada for a few years.

"Thought so," I breathed. "Romance needs a woman's touch, and you, my darling husband, have other talents."

"And what might those be?" he smiled, as I raised my head, sliding one hand into the hair at the nape of his neck and drawing him down to me, hunger sparking in me at the fire in his onyx eyes.

"I think you know very, very well," I whispered, just before his hands tightened around my waist, pulling me hard against him, tightly moulding my body against his, our clothes an annoying barrier.

His lips brushed continuously against mine, as his hands left my waist to rise to my hair, removing the pins and clips which held it in place, until it tumbled freely down my shoulders. His fingers, long, quick and clever, fell to the neckline of my gown, and dipped inside, just a little, but the contact was enough to make me burn, our intimacy descending into something far more primal, but we held it at bay.

For now.

I felt his fingers tighten around the cloth, and I glared at him censoriously, despite my growing need for him. "Oh no, no, no you don't!" I hissed. "You're not destroying this gown."

"But you so enjoy it when I do so, _mia bella_," he growled, brushing his lips against mine. I was so distracted by his scent and the warmth of his body reaching for me, that I was barely aware of the sound of ripping fabric. "And this dress," he continued, with another _rip_! "Was made to be destroyed. It is a sin to cover such beauty from me, _amore mio_."

I grabbed hold of his shirt, and did some ripping of my own, smiling innocently when he glared down at me, my dress and his shirt now beyond repair. "Eye for an eye, darling," I muttered, reaching up to finally bring his lips back to mine. Desperation fuelled me as a phantom heartbeat raced inside of me, as Aro quietly groaned against my lips, before I felt him lift me against him and his hips rocked into mine. I gasped, and then fell back onto the softness of the chaise, Aro following me down immediately.

"Didyme is going to kill you," I breathed, as there came more sounds of tearing silk and lace, and I felt the cool air against my thighs. Aro chuckled against my neck, as I arched and writhed beneath him.

"I am terrified, _amore mio_," he muttered.

"You should be," I panted, reaching up and kissing him, my tongue searching inside his mouth, until he acquiesced and kissed me ravenously, until I moaned and arched beneath him, meeting his lustful eyes with my own.

"Enough talk of my sister," he breathed seductively, kissing the palm of my hand, nestled against his cheek, before nipping at the skin of my wrist, one of the places where he had bitten me five years before. "If I am already lost, then I will make sure to enjoy this to the full."

My laugh was smothered by his lips, as our clothes became tattered piles of fabric on the floor, pooling over the flagstones, as our bodies came together in that familiar, fiery dance that I would never grow tired of, not with him.

Eternity could not get better than this.

* * *

Vampire stamina was a wonderful thing. I never felt tired, and Aro sure has hell didn't.

It was probably a good thing the solarium was deep within the citadel, away from the hearing of even the keenest vampire.

Eventually we paused, and I just luxuriated in the feel of Aro's arms holding me so tightly that I doubted any of my ribs would have survived had I been human. As a near indestructible vampire, however…it just felt good.

I dimly heard the familiar sound of Caius calling for Aro, and I groaned.

"Has he ever heard of a day off?" I muttered, rebelliously as Aro chuckled against my hair.

"I believe not, _amore mio_," he sighed ruefully. My relationship with Caius, unlike Athenodora, Marcus and Didyme, was not smooth, to say the least. We appeared civil and co-operative to any visitors, but in private we just about tolerated one another. I suspected Caius resented my gifts and the power they gave Aro, making it near impossible for him to supplant my husband. I was never entirely sure why Aro kept him around, since he wasn't exactly shy of doing whatever was necessary when a threat to the coven emerged.

"I had better go and see what he wants. It would not do for him to stumble across us thus," Aro continued, pressing a kiss to my shoulder before standing and dressing. I lay back on the chaise and enjoyed the view of my husband.

"He might actually learn something. Or be scarred for all eternity…." I trailed off, grinning. "Either way Dora would probably thank us. Stay."

"As tempting as you are, _amore mio_, he grinned, returning to the chaise to loom over me, his lips brushing mine. "I would rather no one saw what is only mine to enjoy."

I rolled my eyes. "Possessive, aren't we?" I murmured, before his lips pressed against mine, dissipating anything else in my head that I had thought about saying. His tongue stroked mine, so deliciously wicked and teasing, that I was already reaching up to pull him back down with me, when he pulled back with a dark smile.

"You cannot deny it, my Isabella. Dress and meet me in the meeting hall; you know how much Caius hates it when you come," he murmured, before stepping back and walking from the room. I smirked, and swung my legs off the bed, already contemplating how I might drive Caius's nonexistent blood pressure up, just for some fun revenge for interrupting my time with Aro.

My dress was not salvageable. I sighed.

For a man who never wanted anyone else to see me naked, he did love tearing my clothes up. Mind you, I loved doing the same to him so I couldn't talk.

With a shrug, I gathered up what I could and ran back to our rooms, thankful that I met no one along the way. Felix, Demetri and Alec already had enough ammunition to tease me until the end of the Universe. If they saw me running through the citadel with barely a stitch of clothing…well, I doubted even Jane's power would be enough to stop them laughing.

As soon as I made it inside our rooms, the long cavernous chamber panelled in mahogany and lit by candlelight, making it both dark and warm at once, I bolted the door and glided to the large walk-in closet I had been forced to fill when I first arrived and awoke from my change.

I slipped into a pair of dark grey leggings and knee-high boots, before grabbing a blouse, when a sound I hadn't heard in six months echoed through the room.

My cell phone.

* * *

When I first came to Italy, Aro and I had agreed that I would keep in touch with Charlie and Renee, but only distantly. Bit by bit, I had reduced how often I spoke with them. One year ago, I had last spoken to my father to make excuses for why I couldn't come to his wedding to Sue Clearwater. Old Harry Clearwater had died of a heart attack shortly after I left Forks, and Sue and my Dad eventually hooked up two years after Harry's death.

My relationship with my parents was strained, and the only dark part of my life. I hated hurting them, disappointing them, but it had to be. They could never know what I had become, and they could never meet Aro. While Renee had never met him, or seen him, Charlie had encountered Aro once or twice when he was masquerading as the temporary replacement Biology teacher at Forks High.

At least they were happy. Mom and Phil were settled in Florida, where Phil taught minor league baseball and Mom had set up a small design business. She sent me a quilt made up of different t-shirts from various baseball games we had gone to when I was younger, as her first design, and while I couldn't do more than email her to tell her how much I loved it and how proud I was of her, I always got it out of my closet at least once a day to look at it and remember my human life with her, to make sure it stayed fresh in my memory.

* * *

I felt its soft, yielding surface under my fingers now as I moved towards the box where I kept it, along with a few mementoes of my human life. And my cell phone.

As I touched the smooth, sleek dark casing, I closed my eyes and fought for strength. It became harder with every conversation, every disappointed goodbye.

"Bella? Bella dear?" Didyme's familiar bell-like voice punctured my miasma of pain and reluctance, and I turned with my cell in hand, to find the slender, dark-haired vampire watching me sympathetically from the door of my closet. "Bella, I heard the phone. I just came to see if you were well."

"Not really, Didyme," I breathed, trying to smile a little but I sensed it came out a grimace. With a deep, but unnecessary, breath I flipped it open and held it to my ear. I didn't recognise the number. "Hello?"

"Hello, my name is Dr. Grant from Forks General Hospital. May I speak to Isabella Swan?" a husky, masculine voice came over the line, and something in me seized.

_No._

"This is Isabella. What's happened? Is it my Dad?" I asked, heart in my mouth. Didyme rushed to my side, one hand on my shoulder, sensing my fear and distress.

"Mr Swan and his wife were involved in a car crash a few hours ago. Mrs Swan died nearly instantly," the doctor began, and I felt myself begin to shake. One word echoed in my head, over and over again, as dread filled my every cell. _**No**_.

"-We did everything we could for Mr Swan, but his injuries were too severe. He died shortly after arriving at the hospital. We have contacted Mrs Swan's relatives and children, but you are Mr Swan's only listed emergency contact other than his wife. Please accept my condolences, and those of the entire hospital, Miss Swan. We all knew Mr Swan, Charlie, well and he will be missed…" the doctor finished, and the cell phone slipped from my hand, slamming into the stone floor. I felt a breeze and dimly sensed that Didyme had left the room.

I didn't care. I could barely breathe, or think, or see, or hear anything beyond the doctor's words. Charlie was dead. My father was dead.

* * *

_**A/N: **_**I hope I haven't lost my touch. Writing Aro/Bella is much harder than it used to be :/**


	2. Return To Forks

Blood Tie

Warnings: Some explicit content, character death.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

_Bella_

The wind caught and played at my hair, trailing it across my face and behind me. I stood atop a peak in the Austrian Alps, the sunlight dancing across my skin, making it glisten. Only my face was visible, my torso covered up by a black leather jacket, my hands by gloves.

Even if I had been human I would not have felt the cold, the snow around my boots, or the biting chill of the wind. I may as well have been a statue, for all the feeling I had now.

From the moment I'd heard those words, those terrible, numbing words, I couldn't feel anything. The second the cell phone had slipped from my hand, I hadn't waited for Didyme to come back with Aro, or anyone else. I had just run.

The grief was still too raw, too painful. I couldn't let anyone see me like this; see the pain I was in. A pain that had no outlet, not anymore, since I couldn't cry in this body, not the way a human could.

It just felt like an awful, insidious pressure, building up inside of me, with no chance of relief, of release.

I knew this day would come, had always known, ever since I had taken the decision to give in to my suspicions, that day Aro saved me in the parking lot at school, and find out what Aro and his family were. I had always known I would face this pain ever since I had chosen to become immortal and live my life with Aro.

That didn't make it any easier to bear. Charlie was dead, and I would never see him again. Sue was dead, and I would never see how happy she made my dad. For the first time, I felt the full spectrum of pain and impotent rage that were the ramifications of my decision to become immortal and leave my human life behind.

Except I couldn't. I hadn't. I had carried Charlie, Renee and Phil in my heart when I left America, and they never left. That was why it hurt so badly, every time they called me, or emailed me. I had stopped looking at my email a long time ago; something I regretted now.

There was so much regret living inside of me now, and it demanded release.

I relieved it the only way I could. I screamed, my voice echoing across the mountains as I bent in and over myself, my hair falling forward to shield my face from the sun, from the world, a glossy, glistening cocoon hiding me away. I longed for sleep, for some kind of escape from the pain, as my voice carried, far and wide, unleashing all my pain and my sorrow.

Finally my voice petered out, and I simply knelt on that snowy mountaintop, my head in my hands, hair streaming all around me in the wind.

The wind brought the scent of my husband and our Guard to my nose, and I sighed. I hadn't exactly left a note, and it would only be a matter of time before they found me. No doubt Didyme ran straight to her brother when she overheard my conversation with Dr. Grant.

I didn't want Aro, or anyone else to see me like this. I had never cried in front of them, not since I was changed. Not even after my fight with Charlie about coming to his wedding. I couldn't let him see me as anything less than the strong and powerful Bella I had become.

She sure as hell wasn't in the building now.

I tried to find the strength to get up, to pull myself together, but it wouldn't come. Any I possessed was consumed by grief.

Perhaps if I laid down and closed my eyes, perhaps through sheer force of will, I could escape this pain. I lowered myself to my side, curling into my body, into a hard, leather-clad ball.

I felt and heard my family draw closer, heard their voices, smelt their scents on the wind. Particularly Aro's.

His voice was strained, concerned for me. He always did hate it when I went off alone, and now he was even more so. A nudge of guilt pierced through the grief, and I moved slightly.

I couldn't be seen from where I now lay, but I needed to do was whisper my husband's name and he would find me.

All of a sudden, I needed his arms around me like nothing else, not even blood. I needed his strength to restore my own, even if it meant letting him see me so weak. I needed him here.

"Aro…" I breathed, and I heard his indrawn breath as he heard my whisper. I felt their footsteps draw near, fleeter than the fastest predators, and then Aro's shoes were in my sight, and I looked up at him.

"Isabella!" he gasped, standing before me clad in the black suit and overcoat which suited him so well. Gloves covered his hands, unnecessary except for camouflage, and a scarf covered his Volturi crest. He rushed to me, and as I held out my arms to him, I was dimly aware of the arrival of Jane, Demetri and Felix. But then I was swept up in Aro's arms, and I closed my eyes as the pain inside me ebbed at his touch. I buried my face in his soft hair and coat, clinging to him as weak sobs shook my body and he soothingly murmured his love and his sadness for me and my loss into my ear.

I was mute, unable to speak from the sheer weight of the pressure inside of me, like a poisonous drug, a thousand times more painful than any venom, and when Aro drew back to look down into my eyes, I could only stare back.

"_Amore mio_, I am so sorry," he breathed. "Please do not ever do this again! I was out of my mind with worry."

Again guilt pricked me, and I felt the shaking grow stronger. "Aro…he's dead. He's dead," I whispered, my voice sounding harsh and almost strained even, after my heartbroken scream.

"Isabella," he whispered my name, gently drawing my head back into the hollow where his shoulder met his neck and clutching me to him. I closed my eyes and clung to him, as he lifted me and cradled my unresponsive limbs in his arms. Wordlessly, he turned and began to walk back down the mountain, while I silently burrowed deeper into his strength and his warmth, the pain held at bay for now by the arms carrying me so effortlessly, our Guard at our side.

* * *

I didn't open my eyes when we returned to Volterra. I was dimly aware of the change of light that pierced my eyelids, as we entered the underground parking lot where the coven's vehicles were kept. Aro hadn't let me go since we got off the Alps, and I was in no mood or shape to let him go either. Our guard surrounded us, as if trying to physically shield me from any more grief.

I heard voices, concerned, distressed, come rushing towards us as we entered the atrium. An instinct, a need to appear strong, re-awoke in me, and I opened my eyes determinedly. No matter how pervasive my grief, I couldn't let them see me like this.

Didyme, Marcus, Dora and their personal Guards all awaited us, crowding us in a semi-circle, as Aro walked, stride unbroken, into their midst.

"Aro! Oh thank the Gods," Didyme breathed, when she saw me, the raven-haired beauty clinging to her husband's hands. She rushed to me, falling into step with Aro and taking my hand. "Is she hurt?"

"I'm alright, Didyme," I breathed quietly, squeezing her hand once. Her lovely face relaxed, and her crimson eyes held mine lovingly, as Dora came closer too.

"We were so worried, Bella," the golden-haired vampire murmured. I closed my eyes again, knowing what would be coming next.

"Sisters, excuse us," Aro cut across the oncoming wave of condolences and sympathy, with a glance at Marcus. "Bella needs peace."

Dora and Didyme stepped away respectfully, but I could feel their pitying gazes following us out of the chamber. As Aro walked towards our rooms, I just let myself sink deeper into his arms.

"You have to tell me your secret one day," I muttered, as we entered our rooms, the high, cavernous ceiling meeting my eye as he lowered me onto our bed, making sure to lean my head against a pillow. "Unless you can actually read my mind and just haven't told me?"

Aro chuckled, before pressing a kiss to my forehead. "I do have a secret. It's called marriage," he replied, and I rolled my eyes. The levity disappeared from his face, as he laid down beside me, rolling me over onto my side so I faced him. "I am so sorry, _amore mio_."

I lowered my eyes, unable to hold his gaze, full of pity and compassion, not an emotion I saw often in my husband's eyes. "He died in a car crash…" I breathed, that sharp ache coming back to life inside me with a vengeance.

"Didyme told me. You don't have to speak of it if you don't want to, Bella," he stroked my cheek, tucking a strand of damp hair back from my face. It had become wet from where I had lain down in the snow.

"I need to," I murmured. "He died in a car crash, Aro, thinking his only daughter didn't care about him. That's what he said, the last time I spoke to him, when he wanted me to come to his wedding. I should-"

"Bella, enough of this. Your father knew you loved him. I didn't need to read his mind to know that. Words spoken in anger never hold true for long," he told me firmly, holding me closer.

"I have to go back," I continued. I felt Aro still beside me, and I raised my head determinedly. "I must, Aro. I missed the last few years of his life. I won't miss my father's funeral."

"Isabella, it is too dangerous. Have you not considered the possibility that someone might discover what you are? You are too changed," he replied calmly, but I could see the alarm underneath his cool mask. "You were not the first mortal too perceptive for their own good, and you shall not be the last."

I understood his point. I hadn't aged, and what was more, my appearance had changed enough from my human form that someone clever enough would be able to see the change, the change from imperfect mortal to a perfect immortal. Like I had.

"I'll say I had cosmetic surgery or something," I replied. "I don't know, Aro. Most of my old classmates have moved away, and if necessary I'll only stay one night. The town probably thinks I'm a cold-hearted bitch, so it won't raise eyebrows."

"Isabella, you know as well as I that it will not be as simple as that. You are your father's only heir. The legal requirements alone will keep you there for some weeks, if not months," Aro continued with a narrow glare at me. Of course I hadn't forgotten that.

"I don't care about any inheritance. I'll give anything he's left me to charity. I'll sell the house, I just…I cannot ignore this, Aro. I know the choice I made, but he's my father. I _**owe **_this to him," I breathed urgently, sitting up and looking down on my husband, still reclining languidly on our bed. Now I had a goal fixed in my mind, the pressure and the disorientation had eased. I wasn't free of it, but I knew what I had to do and I was determined.

Aro shook his head at me fondly, and I tensed. "And there's not a damn thing I can do or say to stop you, is there?" he asked, and I shook my head, relaxing. He knew me too well to think I wouldn't do this, not when I was so convinced it was the right thing to do, because he forbade me. "I cannot come with you. There is too great a risk I will be recognised, and my presence in your company will be seen as inappropriate, no doubt. Please take a member of the Guard with you."

"Only as far as Seattle. I know the Cullens have moved on, but I won't have blood drinkers too near the town. I'll come and go from Seattle as I need to," I bargained. He sighed but inclined his head.

"Demetri and Felix. No more, no less," he retorted, and I exhaled, but gave in. If this meant the least amount of friction between us, if it meant his quasi-possessive, obsessive need to protect me was assuaged, then I'd take a few bodyguards.

"Deal," I snapped out, and he shook his head in familiar exasperation.

"You drive a hard bargain, _amore mio_," he sighed, holding out his arm. I gladly laid back down beside him, curling into his side and resting my head above his long silent heart. His fingers carded through my hair, caressing and playing idly. "Clearly I am a bad influence."

"Darling, you don't bargain, you steamroller and dictate," I snorted half-heartedly. "Marcus is the diplomat here. And where did you learn that 'damn thing I can do or say'?"

"Must be the influence of my American bride," he quipped, and a choked laugh escaped. Laughing, smiling, it felt wrong after the day's news. At the thought, the sobs welled up again but I held them in. Aro held me closer, as I cried silently into his jacket, saying nothing but the hand in my hair telling me so much more.

* * *

The next morning I was on my way to back to Forks.

My cell had been smashed when I dropped it, and I had been too distraught to recall the number on the screen. I'd brought my laptop with me, but hadn't yet found the courage to turn it on for the first time in months.

Felix and Demetri were silent, understanding, guardians at my shoulder as we made our way through SeaTac airport. We made our way to one of the Volturi safe houses in Seattle, where I changed, slipping into less expensive clothing and leaving off my pendant.

The sky outside was grey, the sun obscured so I ventured outside onto the bustling streets without a hood or a coat. I'd chosen ankle boots, skinny jeans and a black blouse and belt. I didn't want to look too changed, beyond the obvious. I had never been into fashion when I was mortal, and despite living in a country famous for it, I didn't want to look too couture. Aro and Dora always said I should dress as my station in life dictated, and after I'd stopped laughing about how serious and pompous that statement had sounded, I had given in and started dressing smartly.

It was a relief to slide back into jeans. I had grown accustomed to the flowing gowns and tailored suits that came with the territory, of being Aro's wife, but I would always be a jeans and sneakers girl at heart.

I had relinquished my fashion sense, but as the memory of Caius' disgusted face when I announced my departure flashed across my mind, my freedom and independence was where I drew the line.

A rental car had been arranged and it was waiting for me in the underground parking lot. The sleek midnight black Jaguar sat in its space, gleaming in the dim overhead lighting.

As I slid inside the cool interior, I mentally debated whether to go to the attorneys first, or to the hospital. It was barely 24 hours since I had spoken with Doctor Grant, my father's body would still be in the hospital chapel. I needed to see him.

The legal headache would have to wait.

Resolved, I started the car, the rhythmic _purr_ of the engine soothing, as I prepared to return to my old home.

* * *

The foyer of Forks General was the same as I last remembered it; the day I was discharged after Damon attacked and nearly killed me.

The same blandly painted walls with its obnoxiously cheery and bright art, and the smiling clerk at the desk.

She faltered slightly when she saw me, and a part of me laughed internally. The scent of human blood was overwhelming, and I made sure to breathe only shallowly as I strode towards the reception desk, the hustle and bustle of the ER nearby almost painful to my senses.

"Isabella Swan. I'm here to see Doctor Grant," I said firmly, as I reached the desk. The clerk, short and dark-haired with a smidgen too much makeup, gaped up at me, before blinking.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked, in a girly, high-pitched voice that was almost irritatingly grating. She leaned across the desk, and I caught the full force of her perfume, and restrained the urge to flinch. She was clearly hoping to impress someone.

"This is a personal matter, not medical. My father was admitted before his death here. Chief Swan. I suggest you look it up and get the good doctor down here," I murmured lowly, eying her narrowly until she gulped and turned to her computer.

"Bella? Bella Swan?" a familiar voice asked, and I turned with sudden dread to find my old school friend Angela, dressed in fatigues and holding a clipboard, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and her glasses slightly askew, studying me with a confused grin. "Is that really you?"

"Angela!" I gasped, as she threw herself into my arms. "It's great to see you!"

The scent of her blood hit me full force, and I flinched inwardly. Holding my breath, I hugged her back lightly.

"God you're as hard as rock. Been working out, over in sunny Italy?" she asked as we parted, and I nodded noncommittally. The sunny smile dropped from her face, as her eyes turned sad. "I'm so sorry, Bella."

The pressure welled up inside me again, as I looked away. "I need to see Doctor Grant."

"And I'd imagine you want to see Amelia," Angela nodded. My head whipped around so quickly I was half-surprised it didn't come off.

"Who?" I breathed, frowning. Angela's pretty, tired face contorted into a confused frown, matching my own.

"Y-you don't know? I thought the Chief had-" she babbled, but I grabbed her gesticulating hand, as I suddenly found it hard to breathe, everything, bloodlust included, faded to a dull roaring sensation in every particle of my being.

"Angela, who is Amelia?" I asked, trying to keep myself as calm as possible. The pressure built up, joined by a whole gamut of new feelings, and I felt like I wanted to explode. I wanted to run, to scream, to lash out, but I couldn't. I was paralysed.

"Bella, Amelia is Charlie and Sue's one-year old daughter. Your half-sister."


	3. A Future Choice

Blood Tie

Warnings: none

Disclaimer: I own nothing

* * *

_Bella_

I stared down at the tiny being wriggling and shifting in her sleep, eyes closed and mind drifting far away from all she'd lost. There was a shock of dark hair on her head, her skin a darker tone than mine, and she hadn't opened her eyes yet, for me to see if she possessed my eyes.

My sister. My little sister.

Her name dropped from my lips, like a prayer. The scent of her blood was floral, fragrant and bursting with warmth and life, but no lust rose up inside of me. I could never hurt my sister.

"Is she alright?" I breathed, Angela hovering beside me worriedly. "Was she hurt?"

"No, she's fine," my old friend murmured. "Sue shielded her with her own body."

I didn't reply, just watching my little sister as she slept, my hands on the edge of the cot. "Bella…" Angela began hesitantly. "Did you really not know about Amelia?"

"I didn't…Dad and I stopped talking before the wedding," I breathed, my voice breaking slightly. My hands tightened, and I felt the metal edge begin to give way. Forcing myself back under control, I closed my eyes and let go, hoping Angela wouldn't notice my lapse of control. For a second I was scared she would ask me why, but instead she just came to stand next to me.

"You want to hold her?" she asked, with a sad smile in my direction. I startled, staring at her.

"I don't think that's such a good idea!" I murmured, moving backwards, my hands raised as if to ward her off. "I'm…not good with babies."

"No one is, at first," she replied teasingly, picking up little Amelia in her pink blanket, grizzling slightly at the interruption to her nap. "Look, sit down and I'll do the tricky part for you."

I backed up into a chair, and Angela was on me before I could escape or protest further. Suddenly my arms were full of one year old baby, and I froze.

Amelia felt no such hesitance. I felt a tugging on one of my long curls, and I felt my heart contract, and then I knew, as I looked down into brown eyes so like Charlie's, so like my own when I was human. I raised a hand and traced her elfin features, so much darker than my own but I could see a little of Charlie in her, and a little of me. From what I remembered of Sue, I could see so much of her too, and her Native American Indian ancestry was there in her dark hair and olive skin. In my mind's eye, I could see her, older, with an untamed beauty that made my breath catch.

"I'll just get Dr. Grant," I heard Angela mutter, but I was senseless. I was enchanted by the tiny creature in my arms, blinking up at me, then giggling and once again going for my hair. I let her play, her infant strength making the pressure inside of me rise enough to choke my breath entirely. I stopped breathing, and could only watch her, my enhanced senses taking in every inch of her.

Amelia. Amelia Swan.

My senses picked up sprinting footsteps and a musky, animalistic scent that reminded me of wolves and lions, and I stood, cradling Amelia close to me protectively.

What came through door of the ward was not what I was expecting.

He was about three inches taller than I remembered, bound with muscle, his dark hair short, and clothed in shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt despite the chilly weather outside. On his arm was an ornate tattoo, and looking closer I could see a wolf's head in the intricately swirling design.

I wasn't prepared for who came through the door, strong, as changed as I, reeking like an animal and radiating heat like a furnace, his eyes burning.

Jake Black.

He stopped short when he saw me too, the snarl on his face contorting into a frown of mixed horror and confusion. "Bella?" he gasped.

I was thankful for my contacts, but I had the sinking suspicion they would not be enough to hide me. "Hey, Jake," I murmured weakly. "Long time, no see."

"It can't be. Not you," he stammered. My heart sank, as I stepped forward. He was shaking, and some instinct warned of danger.

"Jake," I breathed, but he shook his head, backing off from me and Amelia, his eyes wide with horror and shock.

"Ah, Mr. Black," suddenly the tension was sliced apart by the arrival of Dr. Grant, Angela by his side. His dark blue eyes darted between the three of us, Amelia sensing the tension and beginning to cry. "Angela, if you could take care of Amelia? Jake, I need to talk to Miss Swan."

Jake's eyes snapped from me and Amelia to Grant, and then he turned on his heel as Angela took Amelia from me. Grant turned back to me, eyes kind as he stepped forward, hand outstretched.

"Miss Swan, I am Dr. Grant. I would say it's a pleasure but that feels a little inappropriate considering…" he trailed off, and I smiled tightly, shaking his hand carefully. My throat burned, but I held it back. "If you'd come this way?"

He led me away from the children's ward, quietly talking all the way. He was a tall, athletic young man, hardly older than thirty, but I glimpsed the stresses of his work in the lines around his eyes and mouth, and the grey in his chestnut hair.

He led me down to the chapel where my father was laid out, dressed in a simple hospital gown, his face ashen with the pallor of death, but peaceful, as I halted in front of him. A bandage hid the head wound that had killed him from my sight. His body felt cold even to me when I reached out, resting my hand over his, clasped together on his chest.

"Where's Sue?" I asked, as that pressure inside me built up again, and I glanced at my companion.

"Her body was retrieved by her family. They have their own arrangements," Grant explained, as I nodded. I guessed her tribe would have their own rituals for deaths. "Have you thought about what you want to do?"

"I'll contact the attorneys this afternoon," I murmured, eyes still locked on my father's blank, peaceful face. "What about Amelia? Who is her guardian?"

"I'm not sure. Jake's been about, and Sue's youngest son Seth came to visit her yesterday. I understand they haven't been able to contact Sue's daughter Leah," he explained. I felt his gaze on me, on my hand clutching Charlie's. "He suffered very little pain. He died peacefully."

"I'm glad he wasn't in pain," was all I could say. I turned my head slightly, watching him out of the corner of my eye. "May I have a moment alone, please?"

"Of course," he smiled understandingly. "I'll be on my rounds."

"Thank you," I murmured, turning back to my father. The heavy stillness of the chapel matched my mood, as I bent over my father, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm so sorry."

* * *

Two weeks later, I stood at Charlie's graveside, holding little Amelia, both of us clothed in black, as they lowered Dad's coffin into the ground. He had never been overtly religious, but the words of the service had been perfect.

As I had sat by my father in the hospital chapel, I had managed to come to terms with the fact he was gone. I made him a promise, to always make sure Amelia was taken care of, that she would want for nothing.

She was financially secure. Charlie had left everything to her, including the house. I didn't care that I was left out; I didn't want anything, just Amelia's wellbeing. All I had been left was a letter, my name embossed on the front in my dad's handwriting.

I had it in my pocket. I hadn't worked up the courage to read it yet.

Amelia had no idea what was going on. I had picked her up before the funeral, sadness weighing me down, because I knew I would have to leave her soon.

I couldn't take her back to Italy with me. My world was no place for a child.

Jake stood opposite me, his eyes fixed not on the coffin, but on my face. Sue's son, Seth, stood beside him, both of them staring at me with an intensity that made me nervous. Amelia whimpered a little, and I rocked her gently, shushing her.

She tugged a curl, and I felt a small smile break through my grief, as I looked down at my little sister, cradled in my arms.

No one knew about her. Demetri and Felix were forbidden to follow me to Forks, and I was in regular contact with Aro back in Volterra. They couldn't know about her.

As the service drew to a close, I struggled to keep back a grimace of revulsion as Jake and Seth walked around the grave to my side. They truly stunk.

I glimpsed a similar expression on Jake's face, though Seth just stared at his sister.

"I think we need to talk, Bella," Jake murmured, low and solemn. I inclined my head once, glimpsing his eyes narrow, before I passed Amelia to Seth.

The younger man paused, emitting that same animalistic smell that Jake did. His dark eyes met mine, before he smiled, just a little, and they warmed.

"You're looking good, Bella," he murmured, cradling Amelia tenderly, and the sight both broke my heart and warmed it. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too, Seth," I breathed as he walked away. "Keep an eye on her. She's a mischievous one."

Seth smirked before hefting Amelia, making the baby giggle and clap her hands at her brother's face. My smile faded as he walked away, and I felt Jacob's gaze burning into me. "Not here," was all I said, before I turned tail and walked into the woods. Once again, the scent of him washed over me, repulsive, unappetising, and every instinct I had whispered something wasn't right.

We walked in silence, until we were far from the cemetery, deep in the forest. I steeled myself, before I turned around and met Jake's accusing eyes.

"You know what I am," I murmured. "How?"

"I could ask you the same question, Bella!" he snarled, crossing his arms, and I noticed the bulging muscles underneath his black jacket. "What happened to you? Who did this to you?"

"My husband," I replied softly, and Jake's face contorted with shock, and the hostility lessened slightly. "Do you remember five years ago, when I had my…accident? It wasn't exactly an accident."

Jake snorted. "Yeah, mauled by a bear after crashing your car. Even for you, that's a bit crazy," he replied.

"I was attacked by a werewolf. He'd been stalking me for ages," I continued, as Jake's face drained of colour. Aro and his family protected me."

"That's not possible. There weren't any wolves around back then," he argued, and I frowned.

"What are you talking about?" I breathed, and he froze. "Jake…what are you?"

He tensed and then sighed, as he slowly began to undress, as I watched, wide-eyed. "Jake, what the hell…?"

"Just give me a minute," he snapped, and I averted my eyes for a moment. "Bella…?"

I looked back, to find Jake in his underwear, his body muscled and strong. So different from the gangly teenager I remembered from the beach at La Push.

Suddenly he began to shake, and I made to move but he held up a hand, silently warning me to stay back. I froze, uncertain. No human would have been able to notice that I'd been about to move as quickly I could, but Jake had.

Suddenly his entire body morphed and shot upwards, his face lengthening into a long, furry snout, hair sprouting along his body as hands and feet became paws. His coat was a rich russet, warm and luxuriant.

Jake was a werewolf.

"Well," I muttered weakly. "At least that explains the smell."

Jake returned back to his human form a few minutes later, and I stared, sitting down on a log even though I didn't need to, while he dressed.

He paced in front of me, and I tensed, waiting for him to speak. He shook his head.

"That werewolf that attacked you had to be different, he couldn't have been one of us," he muttered. I nodded.

"You smell different. And their kind are called Children of the Moon. Besides you look…different. You look like a wolf, albeit a big one, and he….looked like a nightmare," I agreed, as he stopped to stare at me intensely. "What?"

"You didn't become a vampire from that, Bella," he told me coolly. "You were human. I saw you, and you were human. How?"

"I fell in love with Aro," I explained. "And I worked out what he, and the rest of his family were, a vampire coven called the Volturi, kind of the vampire royal family. You remember the Romeros?"

He nodded tersely, his amber eyes burning. "If the pack had known, we'd have ripped them limb from limb."

I frowned, as he glanced towards me and shrugged. "We had a treaty with the Cullens, and through them the Romeros, from centuries back. If one of their kind bites a human, in the vicinity of the town, then they're fair game."

"Well, you needn't do the whole avenging thing," I snapped, not liking this one bit. "I was changed in Italy. What about you? How did you become…this?"

"It wasn't a choice, Bella," he snapped back, and I could hear the fierceness of the wolf in his tone. "About a year after you left, I first turned into this. At first, I thought it was just fever or something, then hormone problems. Dad and the others helped me through it. Now, we protect the tribe…"

"From people like me?" I asked in a whisper, and he nodded, swallowing hard.

"You're not what I expected, Bella. You're…human, still," he continued. "But you're not like the Cullens…"

I knew he was talking about my red eyes. Clearly he knew that red eyes denoted a human blood drinker.

"It only happened once," I breathed, shutting my eyes as painful memories surfaced. "After I woke up from the change. I lost control, and I killed someone. I haven't touched a human since."

"But then how do you…?" he frowned, gesturing to me and I shrugged.

"I drink bagged blood. No killing," I explained. "After I held a dead man in my arms…I couldn't do it. And I didn't need to, not anymore."

It was the one time I had questioned my decision to become a vampire. In the end, I had even convinced Didyme and Marcus to join me in my new diet, although Aro, Dora and the others still drank from humans. I didn't judge them for it, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill when there was another solution.

"Did Charlie ever know? About you? Your mom?" he asked, an odd expression in his eyes as he slowly stopped pacing and stood, just watching me as I talked. I shook my head.

"No, I couldn't tell them. If a human works out what we are, and the Volturi get wind of it, then they have a choice. Change or die, so Aro and I agreed that we would phase out the contact, make them think I was never coming home…" I trailed off, feeling the pressure build inside me again, forcing it down with a shrug. "It was better than the alternative."

"Bella…" he breathed, and I shook my head.

"It was my choice, I knew what I was getting myself into, Jake," I murmured. "Don't pity me."

He nodded, and finally sat down beside me, staring into the forest around us. "I always thought something wasn't right," he sighed. "Especially when Charlie spent so much time around the Cullens…"

"Wait! What?" I frowned, turning to him, flinching as scorching heat washed over me from his proximity. He frowned at me, his dark skin furrowing at his brow with the movement.

"Charlie spent loads of time with the Cullens, around a year or so ago," he told me, as shock paralysed me. "Dad tried to get him to stop, but Charlie always said they were alright, and Sue never had a problem with it…"

I gasped, and pulled the letter from my jacket pocket, almost ripping it in my haste. I broke the seal, then pulled the single sheet of paper out, unfolding it. My hands trembled.

"Dad left me this," I explained. Jake waited beside me, patient and silent. "But he couldn't have…I was so careful…"

I was breathing as I would have done after running a few miles, when I was human. My Dad's familiar, untidy scrawl met my eyes, and I felt winded as my eyes flitted over the page.

* * *

_Dear Bella,_

_Bit depressing writing this, kiddo. If you're reading this, then it means the worst has happened and you know about Amelia now. Look after her, Bella, protect her for me._

_I know we had our fights, Bella, not least in the past year. But I know the reason now, and I want you to know that I love you and I don't blame you for trying to protect us. I can't say I agree with your choices, Bella, but you're a grown woman, and you have been for a long time. Your choices are your own, and as long as you're happy, I don't care._

_And I know you're happy. Carlisle and Alice told me you were, and I think I can trust them._

_I suppose you're wondering how I know the truth. Guess being a cop for thirty years isn't all bad, because you and that husband of yours didn't hide your tracks as well as you thought. You running away, the car crash, then the injuries you had, as well as how far away the ambulance found you? I saw the marks on your body, Bella, and those weren't the teeth marks of a bear. But it wasn't until you left for Italy and then stopped talking that I got really worried. _

_When you refused to come home for my wedding, I was on the verge of flying over and finding you. But Carlisle and Alice Cullen turned up on my doorstep and warned me to stay away. I demanded answers but they were pretty tight-lipped, until I decided I was going to go anyway._

_Then they told me. About vampires, and werewolves and the Volturi. About you and your husband, Aro._

_I didn't believe them at first, but when they showed a couple of things to prove it, I accepted the truth. That, and I discovered the truth about La Push boys from Sue and Billy._

_I understand that you couldn't tell me, what the Volturi would do if they discovered I knew. I was angry at first, and betrayed, but when Amelia was born, I was grateful for it and I understood why you did it. I'm so proud of you, my little girl, of the woman you've become and I will always love you. Know that, for what it's worth, you have my blessing. I don't pretend to understand this crazy world you've chosen to become a part of, Bella, but I accept that you're a part of it now._

_I may never meet your husband, but if he ever hurts you, I will find some way back from the grave and haunt him until he goes crazy._

_Take care of Amelia. Keep her safe, and love her where I can't anymore. I love you too, sweetheart, from the first moment I held you in my arms._

_With all my love,_

_Your Dad_

* * *

"He knew," I breathed, the paper trembling in my hands. It took me a second to realise it was because my hands were trembling. I felt Jake's concerned gaze on me, as I repeated myself. "He knew. All along, my Dad knew the truth, about me, about Aro and my accident. He knew why I stopped emailing, stopped talking. All this time, he knew."

"Well, that's good then, isn't it?" Jake asked gently. "He knew, and he didn't blame you."

I stared at him, as he tentatively reached out and stroked my cheek, and for a moment, we were just two young people sitting together, comforting and warm. Not vampire and werewolf, not enemies, just two old friends reunited in mourning.

Wordlessly, Jake reached out and pulled me into a hug, and I let him pull me close, careful not to crush him. His skin was scorching hot, but it was warming and a relief, as he stroked my hair. We sat there for hours or minutes, I wasn't sure, before I pulled back and handed him the letter to read.

Jake read it quickly, frowning slightly, as I got up and started pacing myself, my mind racing.

"We need to talk about what's going to happen now," I murmured, pushing aside my grief and my newly assuaged guilt, to focus on the here and now. Amelia had to be my priority now.

Jake exhaled heavily, as I paused, watching him. "You can't take Amelia back to Italy, Bella."

"I know," I sighed, as surprise filled his expression. "My world is no place for a child, and as much as I want her near, I won't put her at risk. I chose this life; I won't make the same choice for her."

Jake nodded, before pausing, as if weighing his next words. I watched, sensing he had something more to say. "There's another reason she can't go back with you, that your lot can never know about her…" he paused, as I waited. "There's a chance, small but still a chance, that she might be like me, Seth and the others. That she will change into a wolf, one day."

My jaw dropped and I almost felt the need to sit down, as if I was still human. "Is there any way of knowing, for certain? I mean, is it definite-?" I asked as Jake shrugged.

"Nope. She could carry the gene and never change or she might not have it at all. Or one day, she could change into a wolf. We don't have any way of knowing," he shook his head.

"Then I can't come back, not ever," I whispered. "Who's going to look after her, now Sue's gone? Who's Seth's guardian?"

"Technically his older sister Leah, but she took off after the news came about their deaths. She was a wolf too, and she just changed and ran off," he shrugged. "It's happened sometimes, there are stories of people preferring life as a wolf to life as a human, especially after a loss. She calls in every now and again, and Seth's trying to persuade her to come back. Billy and I have been looking after Seth and there's the pack. She'll be safe with us."

"She has everything, when she turns 21," I added. "The house, Dad's bank account and everything else. She'll have plenty for whatever she wants to do."

"Bella," Jake sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I replied with a sad smile. "I chose this, and I knew what price I'd have to pay. Amelia shouldn't have to pay for my choice. Our world is no place for a child."

We lapsed into silence, as I stared down at my father's words from beyond the grave. I would stay a little longer, say my goodbyes and then leave Amelia behind, in the safety I bought in exchange for giving her up.

* * *

Winter was coming, as I sat a few days later, Amelia in my arms as I sat on a rock, looking out over the mountains and meadows of the Washington National Park. Amelia was well wrapped up against the chilly wind, and the iciness of my skin, as she laughed and played with the loose curls that spilled over my shoulders.

The past few days I had spent with Seth, Jake and Billy, the latter wary at first before he realised I had no intention of sinking my teeth into anyone.

This would be my last visit. Demetri and Felix were getting restless, and Aro was becoming impatient. I couldn't put off my return to Italy any longer.

As I stared down at the little girl in my arms, I felt a piece of my heart break off, but with it, that insidious pressure that had been inside of me since I got the call telling me my Dad was dead, dissipated forever. I had lost my father, as I knew I would, one day, but it was okay. He knew why I had left him, why I kept him away, and he gave me his blessing.

And now I had someone else to protect. The next morning, I would leave and never come back. But Amelia would know me, in a way; know she had a sister who loved her. She would be well cared for here, in La Push with Billy, Seth and Jake. And I would watch her from afar, and make sure nothing threatened her. Not even those I loved best. Aro and the Volturi could never find out about the La Push wolves.

As I looked down into my little sister's deep brown eyes, so like my human ones, and my Dad's, I smiled. "I might not be here to watch you grow up, my little girl," I whispered. "But know I'll always love you, Amelia."

She laughed and clapped, gurgling slightly. I chuckled, letting her clutch my finger with all her infantile strength.

The wind was blowing towards us, so maybe that was why I did not smell him before it was too late. I froze as a familiar voice called my name.

"Bella?"

I slowly stood and turned, Amelia cradled protectively in my arms. Behind me, set dramatically against the wintry backdrop of the mountains, stood Aro, swathed in his dark cloak, beneath which I could see what I had always jokingly dubbed his 'parade uniform', Felix and Demetri at either side of him.

"Aro, what are you doing here? What is this?" I demanded, as Amelia quietened in my embrace, watching the newcomers curiously. Aro's eyes were fixed on my sister, and he frowned.

"I could ask the same of you, _amore mio_," he replied. "So poor a welcome for your husband?"

His tone may have been teasing, but I detected an undercurrent of anger there. I had a lot of explaining to do. And fast.

I just hoped Jake wouldn't smell them and come running. Hopefully, he would leave them to me.

"Aro…"I breathed, as he took a step forward, his eyes now locked on mine intently.

"As to why I am here, Demetri called me after he became concerned by your continual delays and excuses for staying in your hometown longer," he continued, before gesturing to the bundle in my arms. "Perhaps you may introduce us?"

I took a deep breath, before taking a step closer, letting Aro see the child in my arms. I heard him breathe in sharply, as I smiled and met his eyes. "She's my sister, Amelia."

"Your…sister?" he murmured. He reached out a hand, gently laying it on Amelia's mussed curls, and she giggled up at him. His hard face softened, as I watched dumbstruck. "She is a beauty, Isabella. A lot like her sister."

"She's far lovelier than I ever was," I smiled, as Demetri and Felix both came nearer curiously. Aro's hand gently caressed her hair, and Amelia reached up to grasp his index finger.

"She cannot come with us, Bella," he looked up at me gently, meeting my eyes softly but firmly. I nodded, meeting Amelia's curious, happy eyes.

"I know, but I couldn't let her go too quickly," I whispered. "I was coming home tomorrow. I just wanted to say goodbye."

"She will be well cared for here?" he asked, and I nodded.

"She has a brother and a sister, and the other tribe members on the reservation," I explained. "Dad left her everything in the will, as soon as she turns 18."

"That is something, at least," Aro murmured. "Come, Isabella. It's time to go home."

Reluctantly, I nodded and began to walk back through the forest, at a human pace, until we reached the treeline and I could see Billy's house in the distance. Aro stopped me with a gentle hand on my arm, meeting my eyes before bending his head to Amelia's. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, her little eyes clamped shut where she'd dozed off during the walk, and then straightened, pulling a signet ring from his little finger. I watched, dumbstruck, as he handed it to me.

"She's an enchanting little thing, just like her sister. This will give her some measure of protection against our kind," he told me, and I gaped at him. He chuckled and shook his head. "I have surprised you yet again."

"You always surprise me," I whispered. "I love you."

"And I you, _amore mio_," he replied quietly, leaning in to kiss me gently, Amelia cradled between us. "It's time, Isabella."

* * *

Demetri and Felix sent me sympathetic glances as I turned away, my eyes fixed on my little sister as I walked out of the trees and towards Billy's house, where I could see Jake and Billy waiting for me just inside the door. Seth was at school.

"Hey," I breathed as I stepped inside. "Some unexpected guests showed up, but I'll handle them. We'll be gone soon."

Jake nodded, the tension in his frame loosening slightly as he took a step towards me. I gently pressed a kiss to Amelia's forehead, before giving her to Billy, my father's old friend smiling up at me warmly. "I love you, Amelia," I whispered. "Never forget that."

"We won't let her forget," Billy promised. "We might not be able to tell her the truth, but she'll always know you loved her, Bella. Charlie would be proud of the woman you've become."

"I hope so," I shrugged, stroking her hair one last time. Remembering Aro's gift, I pressed it into Billy's palm. "Give this to her. It bears the crest of the Volturi, it will protect her until the day she can protect herself."

Billy hesitated but when Jake nodded once, he closed his fist over it with an incline of his head.

I turned to Jake, who watched me closely. "See you, Jake," I murmured, the animal smell of him no longer so repulsive to me. "I'd stay in the house, until we're gone. I don't want them smelling you and coming to investigate."

"Thank you, Bella," he said warmly. "Take care of yourself and don't worry about Amelia. We'll take care of her. We'll keep her safe. Remember to switch your laptop on when you get home."

"Thanks, Jake," I murmured, as he moved and hugged me tightly. I gingerly hugged back, before he released me and I stepped back. With one final glance at my peacefully sleeping sister, I turned away and left the house.

As I walked back towards the treeline, back towards the man I loved and the future I had chosen, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. As much as I had wanted to keep her, Amelia would be safer away from me. Whether she became a wolf or not, whether she joined the supernatural world or not, this was the only gift I could give her.

I smiled as I took Aro's hand, squeezing it tightly as he pulled me into the circle of his arm. I heard the happy squeal of my sister's laugh in the distance, and I glanced back one last time, before letting Aro lead me back into the shadows of the forest.

* * *

When we reached Volterra the next day, I waited until I was alone before opening my email account, which only one other person on the planet now had the address for, and smiled as I opened Jake's email and Amelia's laughing, chubby little face filled my computer screen.

I had lost my father but he had forgiven me and given me a gift in return. And now I would give him a gift, I would keep Amelia safe from the shadows, with all the power I possessed.

One day, she would have a choice, maybe. But until that day, Jake, Seth and I would keep her safe. My Amelia, my sister, my blood.

* * *

_**A/N: Well that's the end of Blood Tie. Which means there will one day be a sequel featuring an adult Amelia, Bella, Aro and all the gang as well as new OCs. Of course, it might be awhile before it's published but it's in development. In the meantime, thanks for all your reviews!**_


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